Flush tank ball valve stem guide



Jan. 20, 1959 c. v. HUCK FLUSH TANK BALL VALVE STEM GUIDE Filed Aug. 5l, 1956 INVENTOR. CHAQLESV. Hucn United States Patent i FLUSH TANK BALL VALVE STEM GUIDE :Charles V. Huck, Paso Robles, Calif. Application August 31, 1956, Serial No. 607,353 3 Claims. (Cl. 457) This invention 'relates to animproved guide for the Vstems of ball-valves of flush tanks.

The primary yobject of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient guide of this character which can replace the guide s'tructur'es'of existing flush tank mechanisnis, is easily and quickly installed, and which when installed and adjusted, assures free and easy operation of a ush tank ball valve stem and accurate alignment of the stem with andl hence accurate engagement of the ball valve'withthevalve seat of the mechanism. i

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a guide fof theicharacter indicated, whichinvolves abracket' to be mounted on the over-flow pipe of a flush tank, and a vertically slidable guide sleeve mounted on the bracket vin axialalignment with the yflush valve seat, the guide sleeve being freely movable relative to the bracket between elevated and depressed positions and' having an :axial bore slidably receiving the Vvalve stem concerned, A"arid means engageable with the bracket for stopping the guide sleeve in its extreme elevated and depressed posi- -t'ions,.the.arrangement being such that binding of the 'valve stem in its vertical movements is eliminated, either byifree sliding of the stem through the guidey sleeve, or b'y free vertical movement of the guide sleeve relative to the bracket should the valve stem tend to bind in the guide sleeve.

These together with other Vobjectsand advantages which will become apparent reside in the details of construction and operationmas more-fully hereinafter describedand claimed, reference beiri'glia'd'toV th accompanying draw "ings forminga part'hereof'whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout Athe several views, and in wh-ich: Figure l is a lfra'gm'eri't'a'i'yl perspective view showing a toilet tank ush valve mechanism, incorporating valve stem guide means of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view, taken substantially on line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged exploded perspective` view of one end portion of the bracket of the valve stem-v guide, showing a bushing insert for accommodating the bracket to iiush tank stand-pipes of different diameters.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a flush tank, indicated generally at 10, has a horizontal bottom wall 12 and a side Wall 14. Extending through the bottom wall 12 is a conventional water inlet pipe 16 having a valve assembly 18 on its upper end. Positioned at one side of the inlet pipe 16 on the bottom wall 12 of the tank 10 is a valve seat tting 20 which has a iiush valve seat 22 on one end and an upstanding overflow pipe 24 on its other end. A float ball valve 26 has lixed thereon an upstanding v-alve stem 28 terminating at its upper end in an eye 30. Suitably secured to the eye 30 is one end of a flexible chain 32 whose other end has a hook 34 engaged in one of a plurality of holes 36, for purposes of adjustment, in the free end 38 of an actuating lever 40 which ICC is pvoted at its other end on a horizontally disposed pivot 'shaft 42 journaled through the side wall 14 of the iiush tank 10 androtatable by means of a suitable handle 44.

The foregoing structure is conventional, and when the actuating lever 40 is rotated, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure -1, the ball Valve 26 is elevated from the `valve seat 22 and floats upwardly on the surface of water present in the tlush tank. As such water flows out of an 'outlet pipe 46, connected to the valve seat 22, see Figure 2, and the lever 40 is released and subsides, and the oat `valve 26 subsides, the valve 26 falls into closing engage- 4receiving the inlet pipe 24, and defining an arcuate clamp j aw 53 facing an arcuate abutment edge 55. On

Vthe. free end `of the -arm 53 and on the related end of the edge SSare spaced ears 62 and 64, respectively. The ears 62 and 64 have aligned bores 68 and 70, respectively, and a bolt 72 extends through these bores and has thereon a nut 74 for' urging the ears 62 and 64 toward each other and deforming the arm`53 so as to clamp the bracket 52 -onwan intermediate part of the stand pipe 24. Stand pipes 24 of diiferent ilush tanks have different diameters, smaller than the opening 58, and the opening 58 may have disposed therein a deformable split shim bushing insert y76` to't thefparticular stand pipe involved.

In the end of theI bracket 52 opposite the clamp 54 is a circular opening 78 in which is engaged a vertically slidable guide sleeve 80 comprising a tubular body 82 having integrally secured yat opposite ends thereof upper and lower annular stop anges 54 and 56, respectively. The sleeve 80 has extending therethrough a longitudinal bore' 83, and extending through the bore 83 is a fixed bearing'sleeve 88, seeFigure 2, having ared ends 90 and 92 engaging the upper and lower ends of the sleeve 80 for retainingthe sleeve 88 in the guide sleeve 80.

As shown in Figure 2, the guide sleeve 80 is relatively short, and can be shorter than the length of the vertical Vtravel of the valve stem 28 on its seating and unseating operations. The guide sleeve 80 is long enough, however,

that in Iits depressed position on the bracket 52, it extends sutiiciently below the bracket and along the valve stem 28 to stabilize and guide the valve stem 28, as it subsides, to assure accurate entering and seating of the ball valve 26 in the ush valve seat 22. It is to be noted that as the ball valve 26 so seats, the eye 30 on the upper end of its stem 28 engages the upper end of the guide sleeve 80 and depresses the sleeve 80 to its extreme depressed position, wherein its upper tiange 84 engages the upper side of the bracket 52, so that the guide sleeve 80 extends below the bracket 52 and is in position to stabilize and guide the valve stem 28 in a subsequent liushing operation.

When the actuating lever 40 is operated in the manner above described, for flushing the tank 1), the ball valve 26 is elevated from the valve seat 22 and immediately rises further. The guide sleeve 80 being loosely engaged in the opening 78 of the bracket 52, permits free upward The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles o the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, as falls within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In ush tank mechanism involv-ing an upstanding overow pipe, a ush valve seat at one side of the overow pipe, a ball valve seatable in said seat and having a lixed opstanding valve stem having an eye on its upper end for connection to an operating lever of the mechanism, a valve stem guide consisting of a horizontal plate bracket having clamp means on one end thereof embracing the overow pip'e and having a circular opening at its other end larger in diameter than and receiving a part of the valve stem below said eye, a relatively short tubular guide sleeve engaged in said open-ing for vertical movement relative to the bracket between 'elevated and depressed positions, lateral stop flanges on the upper and lower ends of the guide sleeve for severally engaging the bracket in elevated and depressed positioned of the guide sleeve, said guide sleeve having a vertical bore therethrough which the valve stem is slidably engaged with its eye above and directly engageable with the upper end of the guide sleeve when the guide sleeve is in an elevated position and extends above the bracket and the guide stem is depressed incident-al to subsidence of the ball valve toward said seat from an elevated unseated position so as to depress the guide sleeve to a depressed position wherein the valve sleeve extends below the bracket in a position to guide the valve stem in a following elevation of the valve stem incidental to unseating of the ball valve.

2. In ush tank mechanism involving an upstanding overflow pipe, a llush valve seat at one side of the over- Ilow pipe, a ball valve seatable in said seat and having a fixed upstanding valve stem having an eye on its upper end for connection to an operating lever of the mechanism, a valve stem guide consisting of a horizontal plate bracket having clamp means on one end thereof embracing the overflow pipe and having a circular opening at its other end larger in diameter than and receiving part of the valve stern below said eye, a relatively short tubular guide sleeve engaged in said opening for vertical movement relative to the bracket between elevated and depressed positions, lateral stop flanges on the upper and lower ends of the guide sleeve .for severally engaging the bracket in elevated and depressed positions of the guide sleeve, said guide sleeve having a vertical bore therethrough through which the valve stern is slidably engaged with its eye above and directly engageable with the upper end of the guide sleeve when the guide sleeve is in an elevated position and extends above the bracket and the guide stem is depressed incidental to subsidence of the ball valve toward said seat from an elevated unseated position so as to depress the guide sleeve to a depressed position wherein the valve sleeve extends below the bracket ina position to guide the valve stem in a following elevation of the valve stern incidental to unseating of the ball valve, said guide sleeve being no longer than the length or the stroke of the valve stem in moving between its ball valve seating and unseating positions.

3. In ush tank mechanism involving an upstanding overflow pipe, a Hush valve seat at one side of the overilow pipe, a ball valve seatable in said seat and having a xed opstanding valve stem having an eye on its upper end for connection to an operating lever of the mechanism, a valve stern guide consisting of a horizontal plate bracket having clamp means on one end thereof embracing the overow pipe and having a circular opening at its other end larger in diameter than and receiving part of the valve stern below said eye, a relatively short tubular guide sleeve engaged in said opening for vertical movement relative to the bracket between elevated and depressed positions, lateral stop flanges on the upper and lower ends of the guide sleeve for severally engaging the bracket in elevated and depressed positions of the guide sleeve, said guide sleeve having a vertical bore therethrough through which the valve stem is slidably engaged with its eye above and directly engageable with the upper end of the guide sleeve when the guide sleeve is in an elevatedposition and extends above the bracket and the guide stem is depressed incidental to subsidence of the ball valve toward said seat fro-m an elevated unseated position so as to depress the guide sleeve to a depressed position wherein the valve sleeve extends below the bracket in a position to guide the valve stem in a following elevation of the valve stem incidental to unseating of the ball valve, Iand a bearing sleeve lining the bore of the guide sleeve and slidably receiving the valve stem, said bearing sleeve having flared ends engaging related ends of the guide sleeve.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,532,324 Lawrence Apr. 7, 1925 1,990,207 Rui Feb. 5, 1935 2,511,545 Roselair June 13, 1950 2,669,729 Stader Feb. 23, 1954 2,779,028 Branch Jan. 29, 1957 

